CROSS KEYS HOMES (CKH) has signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to build their flagship Northminster development. Willmott Dixon was invited on to the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold on to CKH, and since then have led on the demolition of
A recently launched innovative removals company has announced it is on the hunt for partners that would help it increase its services and offering across the UK. With a high demand from homeowners and renters, the experts need transport and logistics operators that want to join them on this journey
Novus Property Solutions has continued its longstanding relationship with The Riverside Group with a high-volume framework contract for works across England, at an estimated value of over £970,000. The two-year planned multi-void replacement works will see Novus carry out a variety of refurbishment works across a significant number of properties
Cruden Building has just been appointed by the Midlothian Council to deliver 72 affordable homes at Conifer Road in Mayfield, as part of a £13.96 million contract. The wider project developed in collaboration by the two will see a total of 265 new homes being built within the local community.
The Momentum Group has been awarded the property management contract for Aviation House, Estuary Business Park, Speke, Liverpool. The Grade A office accommodation close to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, adds 18,000 sq ft of space under management to The Momentum Group’s growing portfolio of property management instructions and fits with
Leading and award-winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has broken ground at its £13m residential development in Esh Winning. Located six miles west of Durham city centre, the scheme named The Oaks will deliver 89 high quality homes for long-term rent; a mix of 54 bungalows, the largest delivery in a generation,
Blending city and countryside lifestyles, Welwyn Garden City is quickly becoming an untapped hotspot for those wanting to be within touching distance of London but surrounded amongst acres of green space. SO Resi’s latest launch in the so-called ‘Utopia’ of Hertfordshire will see the new homes enter the affordable property
Housing association and social landlord, One Manchester, has handed over the keys to tenants in its latest new social housing and shared ownership development, boasting some impressive green credentials. A new development of 21 homes on Mayton Street in Openshaw completed last month creating a new benchmark for family social
AS Homes Scotland, a family-run, Glasgow based housebuilder, has announced the start of groundwork for its 36 affordable flats in Bellahouston. Developed in partnership with Home Group, the new development will see the transformation of the former Bellahouston Academy site into a mix of flats. “My team and I are
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) forecasts that it will spend £20.7 billion on new grant funded homes through three rounds of the Affordable Homes Programme between 2015 and 2032.1 However, the Department could be more ambitious in how the Programme supports wider government objectives, such as
CROSS KEYS HOMES (CKH) has signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to build their flagship Northminster development. Willmott Dixon was invited on to the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold on to CKH, and since then have led on the demolition of the existing buildings and groundworks on the site. Now it has signed a main works development contract which will see Willmott Dixon leading on all aspects of the build of this exciting £70 million development project. CKH’s Chief Executive, Claire Higgins, said: “We are delighted to have signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to deliver this flagship scheme for the city, which will provide 315 new affordable homes. “Willmott Dixon’s purpose is to deliver brilliant buildings, transform lives, strengthen communities and enhance the environment, which goes hand-in-hand with our core objectives and makes them the ideal partner for this exciting development.” David McCallion, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We’re pleased to have now signed contracts with Cross Keys Homes for this fantastic ten-storey flagship development. “This is a hugely significant regeneration project, and we will be using innovative construction methods to build better, greener and smarter. Offsite elements will include a lightgauge steel frame, brick slips and the use of bathroom pods, which will help to ensure quality, programme certainty and come with environmental benefits.” Due to be finished in October 2024, the Northminster development, which is in part, being funded by a £12.5 million grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, will provide much needed high-quality affordable housing in the city centre. CKH are being advised on this project by construction consultants AA Projects, and working alongside Willmott Dixon are a project team which consists of architects Corstorphine & Wright, planning consultants ELG, structural engineers SBK, and mechanical and electrical engineers Briggs & Forrester. Willmott Dixon will be prioritising locally sourced labour, providing training opportunities and investing in local businesses throughout the build period, which is anticipated to take around two years with the first completed homes expected by summer 2024. The bespoke social value commitment planned will generate a social return on investment in the region of £3.2 million.
A recently launched innovative removals company has announced it is on the hunt for partners that would help it increase its services and offering across the UK. With a high demand from homeowners and renters, the experts need transport and logistics operators that want to join them on this journey by offering local storage and removal services as part of their partnership. “Convenience and transparency is what makes our service stand out ahead of the competition. Homeowners and renters are time poor which is why we’ve taken the admin and pricing online. Upfront pricing means the customer knows exactly how much they’ll be spending on removals, and being online rather than lengthy phone calls means this can be booked out of hours, when busy urban dwellers are more likely to have time to spare,” commented Will Edwards, CEO at Lovespace, the removals company. “We aim to keep costs low. If a customer is moving from a studio apartment, they’d expect to pay from around £259 and from a two bed property, they’d be looking at prices from £359.” Faced with a high demand from urban dwellers, including renters, young professionals, and families, Lovespace launched its removals services earlier this year to make life easier and has since seen a monthly increase of both customers looking for removal services and partners keen to get on board. One of the biggest advantages when using their services is the online booking process that comes with an upfront price instantly. “Competitive pricing and flexibility is vital for our customer and also for our partners. For those that want to work alongside us, we can be flexible on when they can carry out removals, pay promptly and rates will be agreed ahead of any removals jobs,” added Will. “Being transparent with both customers and partners is important to us as a business. Money is tight for most people at the moment so being clear in pricing and payments to partners is essential in building trust and a good working relationship.” Lovespace offers a UK-wide removals service with convenient online booking and an upfront price, on top of its storage with collection and delivery service, which can help renters and homeowners make the most of their space at home. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
Novus Property Solutions has continued its longstanding relationship with The Riverside Group with a high-volume framework contract for works across England, at an estimated value of over £970,000. The two-year planned multi-void replacement works will see Novus carry out a variety of refurbishment works across a significant number of properties up and down the country with the aim of getting families into homes, reducing existing voids and mitigating any rental losses. Novus and The Riverside Group have a pre-existing relationship with the leading maintenance and compliance contractor previously completing a variety of works for the housing association including fitting brand new kitchens, windows, doors and bathrooms on existing properties stretching across England. The Riverside Group is one of the leading registered providers of social housing within the UK, offering affordable housing as well as support to all of its residents regardless of their situation. It aims to transform lives through affordable home ownership and great value rent whilst adding to the local community’s wellbeing – closely linking with Novus’ own people-centric ethos which includes giving back to the communities in which it works. The Stoke-headquartered contractor will be supporting and working alongside the Direct Labour organisation to bring its expert solutions to allow more families to get into the homes they deserve at a much quicker rate. Commenting on the new framework win, Sam Frame, Head of Operations at Novus said: “We’re proud to have secured another multi-void framework contract with The Riverside Group and we’re looking forward to continuing to build on our existing relationship with The Riverside Group that allows us to work as one. “This contract comes as Novus continues to build on the success of our five-year growth strategy, which includes nurturing our relationship with our valued existing clients, as well as securing new high value, long term contracts.”
Cruden Building has just been appointed by the Midlothian Council to deliver 72 affordable homes at Conifer Road in Mayfield, as part of a £13.96 million contract. The wider project developed in collaboration by the two will see a total of 265 new homes being built within the local community. The neighbourhood will include family friendly facilities such as a toddler play park, a public art area with seating and bright, natural plants and greenery. Moreover, to minimise the environmental impact, a range of energy-efficient homes are being developed, including modern cottage flats and spacious two-bed, three-bed and four-bed houses. “As we continue to bridge the gap for affordable homes in Scotland, it’s exciting to be a part of this large-scale project and increase the availability of innovative living spaces for the people of Midlothian. We’re committed to ensuring that local families and individuals can enjoy new homes which don’t only fulfil, but surpass, their everyday needs. This mixed development will not only provide functionality and modern living, but it will enhance the wider community by creating an engaging space for residents to come together and enjoy,” said Allan Callaghan, Managing Director of Cruden Building. Championing Cruden Building’s commitment to building sustainable properties, each home will be fitted with an air source heat pump. The heat pumps will replace outdated energy sources such as traditional gas heating and will be fitted alongside photovoltaic panels, which convert thermal energy into electricity, to reduce carbon emissions within the development. The large-scale brownfield site on which the new development is being built was previously home to Bryans Primary School prior to its demolition. Its attractive location boasts stunning views across to the Pentland Hills and offers great accessibility to the surrounding neighbourhoods. “We have seen great progress in our local area, with the earlier phases of development for our 265 homes already well underway with Cruden Building. The addition of these 72 affordable homes will amplify the area for local residents as well as creating new jobs and business opportunities. It will be fascinating to watch this site transform over the next couple of years,” commented Councillor Stuart McKenzie, Midlothian Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing. Work is set to begin in October 2022 and completion of the development is expected by Summer 2024.
The Momentum Group has been awarded the property management contract for Aviation House, Estuary Business Park, Speke, Liverpool. The Grade A office accommodation close to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, adds 18,000 sq ft of space under management to The Momentum Group’s growing portfolio of property management instructions and fits with the Group’s aspirations for continued growth. The appointment adds to the Momentum Group’s growing property management instructions including those in the city centre – 18-20 Church Street, and Princes Building and One Temple Square on Dale Street. A spokesperson for the landlord said “The Momentum Group’s credentials and commitment to continued high level service delivery is what mattered to us. Having heard about their service delivery and the difference they have made to the buildings they manage, it made perfect sense for us to award the property management contract to this growing and agile team.” “The Momentum Group truly meets our desire to manage and maintain high-quality buildings to help our tenants’ businesses thrive and we are delighted to be working with them.” Chris Bliss, Director, and Co-Founder of The Momentum Group commented “It’s a privilege to be invited to deliver the property management services for Aviation House. To be able to continue the momentum with the team, proves our commitment to high service delivery for our clients and their tenants. It is testament to our approach that treating client investment as our own to realise the property potential does make a difference.” “This adds to our growing portfolio of property management instructions and our commitment to continued growth in the region. We are now managing more than 140,000 sqft of retail, commercial, and residential space through our property management team.” The Momentum Group were appointed by Redevco earlier this year to manage the 80,000sqft Church Street site, now the home to Decathlon and Storeaway.
Leading and award-winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has broken ground at its £13m residential development in Esh Winning. Located six miles west of Durham city centre, the scheme named The Oaks will deliver 89 high quality homes for long-term rent; a mix of 54 bungalows, the largest delivery in a generation, and 35 three-bedroom houses. The start of construction was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony which was attended by key members of the Placefirst project team and representatives from Durham County Council. Placefirst has worked with architect POD Newcastle and landscape architect Southern Green to design a scheme which will transform the two-hectare brownfield site. Placefirst’s commitment to placemaking and sustainability is showcased through the masterplan which is landscape-led with the retention of high value oak trees and a network of shared green spaces for residents to enjoy. As a multigenerational community, the development will provide a boost to the village, benefitting local services, businesses and amenities. The site’s proximity to the open countryside and green space will be attractive to new residents, and the site is also well connected to surrounding towns and Durham city centre. The Oaks represents Placefirst’s continued dedication to providing quality homes to the single family rental market, and builds on its strong track record of creating communities in the North East region including The Green in Hartlepool, which transformed three streets of Victorian houses, and Scholar’s View, a new build neighbourhood of 116 homes in Hetton-le-Hole, Sunderland. Placefirst is responsible for every aspect of the home and neighbourhood. Each development has a dedicated resident services manager and renters are guaranteed a characterful, fully maintained, high-quality home for as long as they like. Work at The Oaks is expected to complete in late 2024. James Litherland, planning and development manager at Placefirst commented: “We are proud to commence work at Esh Winning, a project that will bring new life to the site and deliver 89 high quality homes for rent to the North East. The team have worked hard to bring this development together and we’d like to thank them as well as Durham County Council who have shown great enthusiasm throughout. “With a proven track record of placemaking and regeneration, we are pleased to be bringing new single-family rental properties to the area which will make a lasting positive impact on the community. We look forward to work completing in late 2024.” Cllr James Rowlandson, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said: “We are pleased to see work getting underway on this development and look forward to its completion. Having access to good quality housing is vital to the wellbeing of our residents. “With a mixture of bungalows and houses for single families and new homes for rent, this scheme will help to meet local needs”. Cllr Jean Chaplow commented: “I have been campaigning for the delivery of bungalows on this site for a long time so I am delighted to see work start. On behalf of the ward councillors I’d like to thank Placefirst for their commitment to this project. We are pleased they will be maintaining the existing oak trees as part of the landscaping, and I look forward to seeing the neighbourhood complete in 2024.”
Blending city and countryside lifestyles, Welwyn Garden City is quickly becoming an untapped hotspot for those wanting to be within touching distance of London but surrounded amongst acres of green space. SO Resi’s latest launch in the so-called ‘Utopia’ of Hertfordshire will see the new homes enter the affordable property market which has experienced a boom in 2022.[1] Sitting in landscaped gardens and designed around the iconic Shredded Wheat Factory, SO Resi Welwyn Garden City complements the area’s rich heritage. All apartments will benefit from private balconies and terraces to enjoy the local scenery. The new homes are available through shared ownership with prices starting from £68,750 for a 25% share. Residents then have the opportunity to purchase more shares through a process known as ‘staircasing’, which enables them to eventually own 100% of the property. Founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard 102 years ago, this ‘garden city’ was designed to give residents the best of both worlds. The town, which includes a 126-acre park, sits a 29-minute train journey from London Kings Cross making it an ideal balance of the two. It also offers a fortnightly food and craft market, unique pubs in the outlying villages as well as largescale community initiatives including the Barn Theatre which hosts the Welywn Drama Festival annually in May. Kush Rawal, Director of Residential Investment at SO Resi, comments, “SO Resi Welwyn Garden City is our second development to launch in the town highlighting the need and want for accessible properties in the area. With a combination of fast connections to London and ample green countryside, we have seen interest from young professionals, especially those who are first time buyers, wanting to get the best of both worlds without breaking the bank especially during the current economic climate. We are proud that our shared ownership scheme here will offer buyers an opportunity to get onto the property ladder in a commuter hotspot at an accessible cost.” SO Resi Welwyn Garden City is also ideal for those seeking access to an adventurous lifestyle. The Gosling Sports Park sits on the development’s doorstep, offering a dry ski slope, a cycling velodrome, driving range and athletics track to name but a few of its amenities. As well as this, the two large lakes providing opportunities for residents to enjoy a variety of water sports at the activity centre. The area is also home to a variety of ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ Ofsted primary schools and secondary schools, with GCSE and A-Level results recorded well above average. SO Resi Welwyn Garden City is a collection of one, two and three-bedroom homes, with prices starting from £68,750 for a 25% share in a one-bedroom apartment [full market value £275,000]. To find out more, visit www.soresi.co.uk or call 020 8607 0550. [1] https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/01/welwyn-garden-city-is-a-surprisingly-cheap-place-to-buy-for-commuters-16024550/
Housing association and social landlord, One Manchester, has handed over the keys to tenants in its latest new social housing and shared ownership development, boasting some impressive green credentials. A new development of 21 homes on Mayton Street in Openshaw completed last month creating a new benchmark for family social housing in the city. The all-electric development consists of 15 houses for social rent and six made available for shared ownership. The homes were constructed using a sustainable timber panellised system manufactured off site and make use of air source heat pumps for hot water heating. The wider development also benefits from solar-powered street lighting. Building work for the Mayton Street development was started by John Southworth Builders in August 2021, and after 12 months the project has been completed – three months ahead of its proposed completion in December 2022. One Manchester is working toward the zero carbon Manchester ambition to become a zero carbon city by 2038 at the latest. Judy Noah, Director of Development at One Manchester, said: “One Manchester is committed to decarbonising its portfolio and this can be seen in our latest development on Mayton Street. We are no longer building new homes with gas boilers and we are making sure that these homes are exceptionally well-insulated so that they require minimal amounts of heating to keep them warm. “We worked hard to ensure that the scheme maintained a significant element of well landscaped and inviting green space while also creating brilliant family homes with remarkably high quality large gardens. We’re excited to see families move in and how they make this neighbourhood their own.” Plans for the project were designed by GWP Architecture. The social properties are now all occupied and the shared ownership properties are expected to complete before the end of September. Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “We have a number of housing challenges in Manchester, which include meeting a growing demand for quality social and affordable housing, to support more residents to become home owners, and to increase the number of sustainable homes to help us meet our target to become a zero carbon city by 2038. “This development ticks all those boxes – while bringing brownfield land back into use. This is exactly the type of housing investment we need in Manchester.” The site in One Manchester’s ownership had been cleared of unpopular flats some years ago and was initially earmarked for 39 new homes. However, responding to local concerns, One Manchester opted to reduce the number of homes and preserve and improve the green space provision. The Mayton Street project is a continuation of One Manchester’s projects at Windermere Close, Openshaw and Blackrock Street, Beswick which have all incorporated passivhaus design, renewable heating and off-site manufacture.
AS Homes Scotland, a family-run, Glasgow based housebuilder, has announced the start of groundwork for its 36 affordable flats in Bellahouston. Developed in partnership with Home Group, the new development will see the transformation of the former Bellahouston Academy site into a mix of flats. “My team and I are delighted to have been appointed to deliver 36 innovative new homes in Glasgow,” said Kieran Sexton, Commercial Director at AS Homes Scotland. “Formerly used as an educational campus, this site has a lot of potential and we’re delighted that it is being used to bring more affordable properties to the area. As the demand for affordable housing continues to grow, it is important that we do our part to ensure that our homes are available to those in need. “We’re extremely optimistic about this project and the difference that it will make to the local area. It will be rewarding to see this development progress and enhance the local area as it nears completion.” The work included in the project involves the transformation of the school’s former gymnasium and swimming pool facilities to build a mix of sustainable one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats. The vibrant new development will span a 0.7 acre site, designed in accordance with the local surroundings. Ultimately, the AS Homes development would and bring a fresh yet well-suited ambience to the area, including an on-site car park, cycle stores and a community playpark for families and children to enjoy. “It’s great to be working in partnership with AS Homes Scotland to add to our existing portfolio of affordable homes in Glasgow. This project will play a key role in further strengthening Bellahouston’s offering as an attractive and affordable place to live and we’re delighted that work is underway,” added Andrew Campbell, Development and Delivery Manager at Home Group. Designed to accommodate varying occupier needs, the development has received the Secure By Design Gold Accreditation. Moreover, the homes were created in an energy-efficient way, in order to support the area’s wider net zero ambitions, as well as meet Glasgow’s gold hybrid standard for suitability. The new development is due for completion in August 2023. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) forecasts that it will spend £20.7 billion on new grant funded homes through three rounds of the Affordable Homes Programme between 2015 and 2032.1 However, the Department could be more ambitious in how the Programme supports wider government objectives, such as how it contributes to the government’s net-zero commitments, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). DLUHC intervenes in the housing market to try to ensure there is sufficient supply of affordable housing. The Affordable Homes Programme (the Programme)2 provides grant funding to housing providers in England to support the costs of delivering affordable homes. There are two main iterations of the Programme that are running concurrently, the 2016 programme and the 2021 programme. The NAO found that the Affordable Homes Programme’s targets have a focus on the number of new homes built. The 2021 programme has clear targets about the tenure (e.g. for rent or for sale) of housing it wants housing providers to provide, but there are few targets based on wider factors such as the quality or size of homes or environmental standards. DLUHC has not fully defined the wider outcomes it wants from the Programme, such as reductions in fuel poverty and the creation of mixed communities or set out what success would look like. There is a forecast shortfall of 32,000 in the number of homes to be delivered compared with published targets for the 2016 and 2021 programmes, as at May 2022. Under the 2016 programme, DLUHC forecasts it will achieve 96% of its target for housing starts, but some of these homes will not be built until 2032. DLUHC’s forecast is that Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA) will collectively achieve 241,000 starts, against a target of 250,000 starts, by March 2023 (this target includes some homes not directly funded through the Programme).3 Under the 2021 programme, DLUHC expects 157,000 new homes will complete by the time the programme has ended in 2028-29 compared with its target of ‘up to 180,000 should economic conditions allow’.4 It does not expect to meet sub-targets for supported homes (homes with support, supervision, or care provided alongside) and is at high risk of not meeting a sub-target for rural homes. There is also a risk that fewer homes are completed than currently forecast because of building cost inflation, a shortage of materials and labour and other challenges. The NAO found that DLUHC had inadequate oversight of the GLA in the 2015 and 2016 programmes. DLUHC receives performance reports from the GLA, but these contained insufficient information on GLA’s management of the Programme, for example lacking information on spending. In October 2021, DLUHC found that between April 2015 and October 2021, it had given the GLA £1.8 billion of funding which the GLA had committed but not yet used to pay housing providers. DLUHC accepts these payments were a basic error of programme management. DLUHC has started to make improvements to its governance and oversight of the Programme, including in data and performance reporting. There is a lack of strong incentives for housing providers to deliver affordable homes in areas of high housing need or in the most unaffordable areas. The Programme is not delivering a high proportion of affordable homes in areas that the Department assesses have high general housing need. In addition, housing providers are delivering fewer homes in more unaffordable areas, measured by the difference between local house prices and wages. The Programme could bring greater value to other parts of government. When designing the 2021 programme, DLUHC considered how it could generate cross-government benefits in relation to housing benefit spend, the number of people in temporary accommodation and adult social care. However, it did not include savings in temporary accommodation or adult social care costs from providing supported housing in its economic modelling. Potential savings in these areas are not factored into the way DLUHC allocates the Programme’s funding and the kind of homes delivered. If DLUHC used the Programme to deliver more affordable homes in London, this would lead to significantly higher savings on future housing benefit costs (including the housing element of universal credit). DLUHC and Homes England did not include any specific targets relating to reducing emissions under the 2021 programme. Before the end of 2022, the NAO recommends that the DLUHC should develop plans to mitigate the risk that the objectives for delivering affordable homes may not be achieved, and continue to improve its oversight of the Programme. For the next iteration of the Programme, DLUHC should consider what information it needs to improve its understanding of housing need in local areas, and review how the programme sets and monitors the Programme’s targets and sub targets and be clear how the Programme is contributing, when feasible, to wider government objectives, such as net zero and savings for other departments and local government. Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “Since 2015, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities has made improvements to the running of the Affordable Homes Programme, but there are still areas it needs to address. “It should reassess targets to ensure the Programme is delivering affordable homes in areas that need them the most. It should also use the Programme to bring about greater value to other parts of government, and advance wider efforts around net zero.”
